Marx’s hands fluttered again. "I’m sorry! I’m sincerely sorry! You want a written statement? Or..." He yelped as his heel caught an exposed root and nearly sent him sprawling.

Dimitri stopped, finally, coming into view so close that Marx actually had to tip back his head to maintain eye contact.

There was a brief, tense moment where Felicity thought Dimitri might actually throw him into the water.

Instead, he leaned in, whispered something too soft for Felicity’s ears to catch, and Marx’s whole body went slack, his ears drooping in instant, worried submission.

"What do you think he said?" Felicity whispered, curiosity piqued.

Lucan’s lips pressed against her temple, a silent, proprietary kiss. "Knowing Dimitri? Something that’ll keep Marx up for a week."

They both watched as Marx, reprimanded and grumbling under his breath, trudged back toward the fire pit and started poking at the embers with the burnt end of a stick, all the joy wrung out of him.

Dimitri followed at a measured pace, but his eyes flicked to Felicity and Lucan, holding her gaze for a beat longer than necessary.

You planning on putting me down at some point?" she asked, voice light but eyes locked with his.

Lucan arched an eyebrow, his panther smile returning at full intensity. "I haven’t decided yet."

"Don’t make me bite you," Felicity muttered, but her threat was undercut by the way her hand found his collar and tugged him down for a quick, mischievous kiss.

He kissed her back, slow and deep, like they had all the time in the world. "Careful," he breathed when their lips parted, "I bite back."

Felicity laughed, the sound bright and echoing across the ruined landscape. For one perfect second, the memory of the world before, the world of work and commutes and ordinary heartbreak felt impossibly distant. Here, against all odds and logic, she’d found something better than safety: she’d found her pack. And they would burn the world for her, if she asked. She patted Lucan’s cheek, affectionate and fond. "Seriously, though, you should go check on Marx. I think Dimitri broke him."

Lucan set her down at last, steadying her with hands lingering a fraction too long at her waist. "Only if you promise not to vanish again."

Lucan watched her with a look that was half hunger, half worship, as if her laugh had peeled back a secret only he was worthy to see. "You’re going to ruin me, Little bunny," he murmured, not quite a joke. His hands lingered at her waist, fingers splayed against the tender spot where her shirt had ridden up, and Felicity felt the heat of him even through the fever of her own pulse.

She rolled her eyes, but the promise was already there, unspoken. "I’ll behave. For at least ten minutes."

The moment was shattered by a crash from the other side of the clearing. Tommy, who had been absent during the earlier confrontation, had reappeared with a triumphant grin. He was dragging a reluctant Richard by the arm, the Leaf Team member’s face a thundercloud of displeasure.

"Look what I found!" Tommy announced, his voice pitched high with excitement. "I’ve been having a little heart-to-heart with our friend Richard here."

Richard’s jaw tightened visibly, his dark eyes flashing with barely contained rage. "I didn’t agree to this."

Felicity watched as Tommy dragged Richard toward a fallen log, pushing him down with exaggerated cheerfulness. Richard’s hands were bound in front of him with what looked like Tommy’s own belt, a detail that explained why Tommy’s pants were riding dangerously low.

"I thought," Tommy continued, settling beside Richard with the enthusiasm of a puppy, "that we could all use a little team-building exercise. You know, get to know Richard"

Lucan’s arm slid around Felicity’s waist, his grip tightening protectively. "What exactly are you doing, Tommy?"

"Bonding!" Tommy beamed, patting Richard’s shoulder. Richard flinched away as if burned.

"This is ridiculous," Richard growled. "I’m the team’s traitor, not a camp counsellor."

Tommy leaned in conspiratorially. "So, Richard from the Leaf Team. What’s your favourite colour?"

Richard stared at him, incredulous. "Are you serious?"

"Deadly serious," Tommy nodded. "I’ll go first. Mine’s purple. The deep kind, like a bruise." He paused, tilting his head as if genuinely searching his memory. "I think it’s because of this girl I used to watch from across the cafeteria in ninth grade. She always wore a purple scrunchie. We never spoke. I used to practice what I’d say to her in the mirror." He brightened. "Anyway. Your turn."

Felicity bit her lip to keep from laughing, exchanging an amused glance with Lucan.

Richard’s expression remained stony. "I’m not playing this game."

"Fine, fine," Tommy waved a dismissive hand. "We’ll skip to the deep stuff. What’s your greatest fear?"

"Being interrogated by an idiot," Richard muttered.

Tommy clutched his chest dramatically. "Ouch! That’s hurtful, man. I’m just trying to make this situation more pleasant for everyone." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

He leaned forward, lowering his voice. "My greatest fear is commitment, or..." he paused, tilting his head, "no, actually, I think it’s the opposite. Wanting something so bad you’d burn everything down for it and knowing it’ll never want you back the same way." He brightened almost immediately, the shadow gone as fast as it came. "Anyway. Your turn."

Richard studied him for a moment. "You’ve never had a girlfriend, have you?"

Tommy’s grin didn’t waver. "Not even close."

Felicity watched Richard’s face carefully. Despite his obvious annoyance, she could see a flicker of interest in his eyes, the natural curiosity of someone who collected information, even from the most unlikely sources.

"So you’re a former double agent?" Richard asked, his tone casual but his posture shifting subtly.

Tommy laughed too loudly. "Me? No way. I’m just a guy who makes bad decisions." He nudged Richard with his elbow. "Your turn. What’s your real mission? Just between us."

Richard’s lips curved into a humourless smile. "rescue the woman you’ve kidnapped."

A collective growl rose from the men around the fire. Tommy, however, seemed unfazed.

"We didn’t kidnap her," he said, waving his hands. "She’s our... well, she’s our everything." He glanced at Felicity with genuine warmth. "But you already know that. What I really want to know is why your is so obsessed with her, and her biological cubs."